LAKEPORT >> The Lakeport Planning Commission approved the Architectural and Design Review for a proposed Dollar General store, offering only a few recommendations on the storefront.
The initial proposal for the store was approved by the Lakeport City Council, to be located off of South Main Street and Kimberly Lane. With the Planning Commission’s design approval, council will now hear the review with the recommendations.
The Planning Commission had questions or concerns over the landscaping and tree placement, signage location and potential street lights to improve visibility around the lot.
Community Development Director Kevin Ingram said the submitted plan is in compliance with the Architectural Design Review criteria when applying it to the Zoning Ordinance, the Land Use Classifications, Economic Development and Community Developments of the General Plan.
“The applicant has submitted some revised plans most notably are the building elevation, the site plan has changed, landscape plans and also included some preliminary grading and stormwater plans,” Ingram said.
Some additions to the plan include decorative details and additional landscaping, both in the parking lot and down Main Street.
Cross Development representative Mike Railey provided a plan and images to the commission to help them understand how it might look when finished. He said there are some adjustments he can make to the image of the store if necessary to make it more fitting to the public.
Although there are other design options for the store that may fit better with the ordinance and signage, Railey said that utilizing those designs would create a loss of some of the elements the building already has incorporated.
“I don’t think they will work with this particular prototype of store, we have certain interior dimensions we have to maintain,” Railey said. “I think you might lose some of the architectural elements by changing that I think it will give more interest to leave the building as is and it will be a better-looking building.”
Ingram said that he is aware there is controversy over the Dollar General stores around the county but the Zoning Ordinances and General Plans that are in place for the county are different from that in the city. The county does require a Use Permit for buildings bigger than a certain amount of square feet but the city does not.
“Ours are a Use by Right within this particular Zoning Districts and that is based solely off the fact that in the county Zoning Ordinance they have size separation in the buildings. Going over a certain threshold triggers a Use Permit rather than a Use by Right,” Ingram said.
This project was originally denied by the Planning Commission because they felt a Categorical Exemption from CEQA was not appropriate for this plan back in July of this year Ingram said. An appeal was put in by Cross Development that was then approved by the City Council because the plan was compliant and not in need an initial study from CEQA.
